When a coat comes off and there is no where to put it, there is a need to minimize the number of items that the bearer must carry. Whether shopping, attending a sports event, traveling, or walking with small children, it is preferable not to have to hold onto both a coat and a handbag as separate items.
Several inventors have addressed the need to combine the functions of a coat and a handbag into one item. U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,520 (1989) shows a coat with a backpack element covering the full back portion of the coat, thus, compromising the fashion integrity of the coat itself for the purpose of utility. U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,251 (1984) displays the handle means and several components of the handbag attached to the inside of the jacket, rendering the fashion of the jacket's interior compromised when the jacket is opened. U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,853 (1977) discloses the belt of the coat as handle means when the garment is converted into a tote bag. This method cannot accommodate coats without belts. Other prior art references of possible interest are U.S. Pat. Nos: 1,948,177; 2,109,951; 3,846,844; 4,426,740; 4,637,076; 4,651,348 and 5,097,534. There is therefore a need for a convertible garment/shoulder tote bag which can be formed from a long-sleeved coat that may be beltless; in addition to a need for increased focused upon fashion integrity--along with utility--of the invention.